A WIRRAL woman is determined not to let epilepsy slow her down as she signs up for a fun run in aid of other sufferers.

Liz Roberts, from Wallasey, will take on the Big Fun Run in Sefton Park on August 17, to raise funds for Epilepsy Research UK.

The 50-year-old was diagnosed with the condition six years ago and she now wants to do all she can to boost awareness.

Liz, who will tackle the 5K challenge with sister Eileen Graham, said: “It happened six years ago.

“Epilepsy is in every one of us, it just needs a trigger to activate it. Mine was stress and anxiety. My first attack was at work. A team member found me in the staff room having a seizure and they called the ambulance.

“When you have epilepsy you have to have someone witness it before treatment can commence. After the first fit they did not put me on medication.

“It was about 18 months before the second fit. I was at home and my husband Keith came home from work and found me collapsed like a rag doll in the kitchen. I was taking stuff out of the dishwasher and collapsed against the sink cupboard.”

Although terrified at what he found, Keith, a Vauxhall car worker, remembered to take a photograph which provided the proof of the fits for treatment to commence with Walton Hospital and the prescribing of daily medication to control the fits.

It is believed the death of her father six years ago and her other sister’s breast cancer, were contributing factors to Liz’s stress.

Luz, an assistant manager at Clarks shoe shop in Birkenhead, added: “The changes to your life are unbelievable. I had to hand in my driving licence. I thought about what might have happened in the 18 months I waited for treatment, if I had been driving when the next seizure came.

“Epilepsy can make you feel vulnerable. My worry is that I will have a seizure outside. It can also trigger short term memory problems, so usually I write everything down. The company have given me a lot of support through occupational therapy.”

To sponsor Liz you can pop in to the Clarks store at The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre or use her just giving page at www.justgiving.com/Liz-Roberts10